Journaling my genealogy research online seems to be the right thing to do for the future of my research rather than hiding it away in some box or drawer in my home. This blog is more of a diary of my research which expands as I go. Know that a post from last year may have more updated research in a different post. I love the discovery process which has resulted in such wonderful success in finding my roots. If you comment and are looking for a response, please leave me an email address.

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Thursday, August 25, 2011

Kirwan

I don't have much about my Kirwan line but I do know that Judith Kirwan (b. 1780) married Patrick Flanagan (b. 1780, Termonfechin) on January 18, 1801. Her father was Nicholas Kirwan. Judith lived much of her life on the Flanagan Family Farm in Termofechin but she also spent time in Dublin in the House of Industry for some mental health issue, presumably depression.

In my recent searches for information about the Termonfechin area and Clogher, I ran across some information about the Kirwan family name and history. While the name is prominent in Galway as a "Tribe of Galway", you have to wonder what my Kirwan line was doing all the way across the isle in County Louth. The surname, Kirwan, is the anglicised version of the Gaelic name "O'Ciardhubhain". That is quite the mouthful. It is no wonder that name was changed to Kirwan. In the Irish language, the name is derived from the "ciar dubh" which means black.

What I found most interesting is that the Kirwan's originate in County Louth. They were not in Galway until the 15th century. There have been many prominent Kirwan's over the ages including Rev. Francis Kirwan (1589-1661), John Kirwan (Mayor of Galway), and Owen Kirwan (1803).

When I look up Kirwan's and Louth today, I find a few in Clogher. They must be big in the fishing industry as that's what comes up in my searches these days. I wonder what my Kirwan line looks like.

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"It is a most useful art, this photographing, by which one can from one end of the world to the other [send] a pretty correct representation without writing a word about it."

---Michael Flanagan, written in 1873

The Essence of Genealogy

Below you will find a poem that I found in a "Birthday Book" that belonged to my Grandma. It was the book's dedication by Rev. Hugo W. Hoffmann. I think it represents some of what genealogy is all about.